News spread quickly through the Ninja Academy—Naruto, the top student, had defeated the genius of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke.
Those who had once idolized Sasuke were outraged. Yet, after seeing Naruto's strength firsthand, most of their anger faded. His title as the top student only solidified his growing reputation. In an instant, he gained a legion of female admirers.
For the first time ever, Sasuke took a leave of absence from school. This unexpected disappearance only fueled the shift in fan allegiance.
Every day, Ino prowled like a territorial feline, fending off girls who dared to swoon over Naruto.
Tenten was even more aggressive.
"That's my annoying little brother!" she fumed. "I was the first to notice him, the first to look after him—he's mine! Mine!"
If dormitory walls separated them, she would have broken through just to stay by Naruto's side.
Naruto, however, was indifferent to it all. Whenever he had time, he meditated.
This behavior infuriated Inuzuka Kiba and a few others who often boasted about becoming Hokage.
"That guy is such a jerk!" Kiba grumbled.
"Yeah! I never noticed before, but he's even more arrogant than Sasuke!" another student chimed in.
"Woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.
Shino, standing nearby, spoke coolly. "No, Naruto and Sasuke are different."
"What's the difference? Aren't they both full of themselves?" Kiba asked.
"Sasuke is proud, aloof, and craves the spotlight," Shino explained. "Naruto, on the other hand, is approachable. Even Shikamaru and Choji visit him daily. Upperclassmen get along with him too."
"…And, I noticed something about him."
"You have a point. What is it?"
Before Shino could answer, Iruka's voice rang out, "Alright, class, settle down."
Shino fell silent, turning away with his usual blank expression.
Kiba blinked in confusion. "Huh? Hey! Finish what you were saying!"
Iruka called out, "Kiba, do you have something to add? Or would you like to help me with today's lesson?"
Kiba quickly sat down, his face turning red.
"Iruka-sensei," Sakura hesitantly raised her hand. "Sasuke-kun hasn't been in class for days… Is he sick?"
Other girls perked up at the question, eager to know about Sasuke's whereabouts.
Iruka hesitated before forcing a smile. "Sasuke is fine. Something happened at home, and he needed to take some time off. He'll be back soon."
Most civilian students were left puzzled, while those from ninja families already knew the truth.
Rumors spread quickly. Before long, the entire school learned what had happened—the Uchiha clan had been wiped out overnight.
Nearby civilians had noticed that the Uchiha compound was now sealed off. Whispered discussions filled the academy halls.
"What? The whole Uchiha clan was wiped out?"
"They were so powerful… Who could have done this?"
"Good riddance. My parents never liked them anyway."
"Yeah, ever since the Uchiha disappeared, the Konoha Military Police aren't throwing their weight around as much."
"Shh! My parents said Hokage-sama forbade people from discussing this. It's a classified matter."
A week later, Sasuke returned—but he was no longer the same.
The cold and arrogant avenger had taken the place of the proud genius.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, several girls rushed forward, concerned about him.
"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" Sakura, sitting closest, was the first to approach.
But the Sasuke who had once tolerated these interactions was gone. His cold, paranoid gaze swept over her, sending chills down her spine.
The other girls instinctively backed away.
Sasuke didn't acknowledge them. Instead, he sat down and stared ahead, lost in thought. His demeanor radiated an icy aura that pushed everyone away.
Shikamaru, observing the scene, sighed. "He's strong. He's already steeled himself."
He leaned back, hands resting behind his head as he walked beside Naruto.
"Alright, class is starting," Iruka announced as he entered the room.
Sasuke returned to his seat in silence.
Iruka was briefly surprised. "Sasuke… Welcome back."
Sasuke didn't react, as if he hadn't heard.
Iruka didn't push the matter and turned to the board, beginning his lesson.
Time passed quickly, and soon, the final assessment before graduation arrived.
As expected, an upset occurred.
Naruto remained the top student.
Although he had lost points in the practical exam due to a minor mistake, his theoretical knowledge and skill in ninjutsu compensated for it. His scores in basic subjects remained high, securing his top rank once again.
Surprisingly, Sakura's performance had improved significantly, scoring nearly perfect marks in written exams. However, her practical performance still lagged, preventing her from claiming the top spot.
None of this surprised Naruto. He had already foreseen the results.
In the Will of Fire assessment, Naruto scored full marks yet again.
And with Sasuke's presence—a survivor of the Uchiha massacre, the supposed 'genius' of their generation—expectations were high.
The examiners, most likely chosen by that old schemer, Hokage-sama himself, awarded Naruto first place once more.
Naruto sighed. He had never intended to stand out so much.
During the holidays, Naruto quietly completed his training with the Rasenshuriken.
He even refined a variant that produced minimal sound but radiated an even more oppressive chakra presence.
Although he had inherited much of the Uchiha clan's talents, his elemental transformation abilities remained his greatest strength.
Even so, developing advanced ninjutsu still took its toll.
Still, compared to legends like the Second Hokage, who could hold back Kinkaku and Ginkaku in his later years, Naruto felt he had much more room to grow.
When it came to mastering the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken, Kakashi's involvement was inevitable.
He couldn't personally train Naruto—Jiraiya had already taken on that role. After all, every Hokage had learned from their own master, and it wasn't his place to interfere.
As for that pink-haired boy? Without Naruto and Jhinaga, there was no Hokage to push him toward taking things seriously. Without them, he likely would have been sent back to the Academy ages ago.
That left only one other option—Sasuke.
Kakashi saw a bit of himself in Sasuke, which stirred some reluctant sympathy.
In the original timeline, Naruto and Jiraiya spent so long training, yet they still couldn't properly control the Nine-Tails' chakra…
Of course, that was because Jiraiya wasn't approaching it as a teacher.
He treated Naruto more like his own child than a student.
Jiraiya never wanted Naruto to suffer. The boy had already endured too much pain.
But under the influence of the Great Toad Sage's so-called prophecy, Jiraiya convinced himself that the "Child of Prophecy" truly existed.
Naruto, however, was never that child.
Only later did Jiraiya realize this.
Afterward, Naruto trained at Mount Myoboku, mastered Sage Mode, and fought Pain.
But before that, he needed to strengthen himself.
Kakashi had a simple thought:
Oh? You want to get stronger? Well, doesn't this mean I get to look good by helping?
And Naruto?
He was exhausted.
His shadow clones never stopped training. The training ground itself was provided by Yamato, the poor soul used as a living Wood Release test subject.
And where was Kakashi?
Lying back, sipping tea, and watching the show unfold.
Naruto, despite his monstrous stamina, was completely drained from developing the Rasenshuriken. If not for Sage Mode, using it even once would have left him bedridden.
Kakashi's response?
"What do you mean I won't teach Naruto? What do you mean I'm unreliable? Do you think I can steal techniques?"
With the Hokage keeping a close eye on him, he couldn't afford to slack off.
Besides, hadn't he already wronged a child in the past?
No way.
There was one person he would never dare to face—Kushina Uzumaki.
If she were alive, she'd beat him to death.
Seasons changed, and time passed like a fleeting shadow.
Nothing major happened in Konoha.
Naruto trained diligently, step by step.
He waited patiently for his body to mature.
The ever-proud Nine-Tails no longer resisted him.
Though it refused to take the initiative, there were rare moments when it did.
After all, it had to acknowledge one thing—Naruto's strength had already far surpassed its imagination.
And yet, despite this, Naruto never attempted to control it with the Mangekyō Sharingan.
That fact alone moved the great beast.
But at the same time, it left the Nine-Tails uneasy.
Are the enemies he will face in the future truly that terrifying?
The small boy it had once known had grown into something far greater.
Even after so many years, Naruto never slacked off.
And that worried the Nine-Tails more than anything.
During this time, Naruto frequently visited the hidden supply storage points.
He provided nutrients to Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Izumi.
Izumi, whose growth had been halted, regained warmth in her body.
Mikoto, on the other hand, benefited greatly—she even looked years younger.
This gave Naruto an idea.
Soon, he started mixing nutrients into everyday food.
The results were striking.
Especially on Hinata and Ino.
Before long, it was the 60th year of Konoha.
The annual Ninja Academy graduation exam approached.
It was time for the next generation to step forward.
Tenten, Neji, and Lee had already graduated a year early.
They had all become Genin ahead of schedule.
Lee even changed into his classic training outfit, embracing his unique style.
Neji, while still cold and composed, had softened somewhat.
When they gathered, he would occasionally smile.
Tenten sighed, admitting that she only smiled when they were all together.
Then, she turned around and complained to Ino and Hinata.
The upcoming exam put everyone on edge.
Ino, who was practically inseparable from Shikamaru and Chōji, found the idea of splitting up unbearable.
Her mood worsened after hearing Naruto mention their future Jonin instructor—Asuma Sarutobi.
"The man who's basically just here to set up his son's future?"
A bearded, smoking uncle…
Not exactly her ideal mentor.
Hinata wasn't thrilled either.
Her instructor had only just been promoted to Special Jonin when Asuma recommended him for a full Jonin role.
That wasn't the issue, though.
The real problem?
Her likely teammates—one raised dogs, the other controlled insects.
She had no objections to them personally, but the idea of not seeing Naruto as often frustrated her.
Shikamaru, of course, noticed immediately.
"Naruto, what should we do?"
Naruto blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"You must've seen this coming ages ago. You can't change it, right?"
Shikamaru sighed in exasperation.
"Man, dealing with this is such a drag. You really spend all day calculating these things, huh?"
After dinner, everyone returned home.
Days passed in the blink of an eye.
"Tomorrow is the Ninja Academy graduation exam."
"Students, review the necessary material thoroughly."
"The exam will most likely focus on the Three Basic Techniques, so be prepared."
"If you have any questions, come forward and ask your teacher. I'll be available all day."
And with that, the next chapter of their journey was set to begin.
…
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